Norbert and Nieke Wagner from Germany had previously done their SSI Scuba Diver course back in 2015 with a couple dives in between. But they chose to join the Sea Rovers Brethren to complete there SSI Open Water Diver course. Easy done, just get online, finish the theory, bit of a refresh and some new skills and finally 2 dives out at Menjangan Island, plus the final exam. Which was passed with flying colours.

Well done guys.

And if you’re wondering why our Wayan is in the photo while the captains name is on the cards. We’ll that’s because we were team teaching this time.

Kate giving it a go. Try Scuba that is.

Simon and Kate are regular returning brethren to the NW Bali coast, but this is the first time we have persuaded Kate to put away her snorkel and Try Scuba diving here in Pemuteran. She did it, whether she does it again is up for debate. But she can proudly say the she Tried Scuba, and though she still prefers snorkeling at least she tried. And for that we applaud you young lady, well done.

The simple fact is diving isn’t for everyone. But if you don’t try you’ll never know. And what better place to try than Pemuteran Bay in NW Bali. Calm seas, mild currents plus an abundance of fish and coral to look at.

So come on up to the North, where the Pirates live and give it a go. You know you want to.

Mount Agung continues to rumble

And Bali continues to be on high alert, we continue to look at fish. Not much else you can do, everybody is just waiting to see what happens.

For those planning to come, keep planning just be flexible. Remember the Icelandic eruption, it effected flight across Europe. You may have to land outside of Bali if the airport gets closed due to ash. But there is an Airport just across the straights from us in Banyuwangi East Java. Its actually closer than Denpasar. Same goes for those in Bali, There are plans in place for get you home if the airport closes.

For me, I’m here, waiting to see what happens. Be assured though that the Pirates of Pemuteran are all safe and well. We’ll keep you up to date if anything new happens.

You may have heard in the news that Bali is under highest alert for a volcano eruption. Mount Agung is 60 miles/96.5 km away from us here in Pemuteran with a range of mountains in-between, so we are safe here.

They have evacuated over 10,000 people from the area close to the volcano. These are some of the poorest villages in Bali, and many in our diving industry are affected too because Tulamben is shut down and reports from Amed state that many of the tourists have left (even though Amed is outside the evacuation zone).

Here at Sea Rovers, it’s business as usual. If you are traveling to Bali in the next few weeks, keep a close eye on the news and stay in touch with your airline or travel agent.

If you want maximum bottom time, a shore dive is the way to go. No set schedule to follow, little to no current to worry about, easy to navigate and nearly impossible to get lost. My friend Linda was visiting from Texas, and we got to talking about what our longest dive was. Both of us had several dives that went longer than 2 hours, but we decided to challenge ourselves to make it to 3 hours.

To accomplish this, we needed to stay relatively shallow and not do too much swimming. Mucky Pirates Bay here in Pemuteran is perfect. You can spend an entire dive exploring under the pier. There are also nearby mooring bases and piles of debris that have their own little ecosystems—a macro photographer’s dream.

After helping us in the water with our gear & cameras, we told the Sea Rovers shore support crew not to expect us back for at least 2.5 hours (I don’t think they completely believed us, but they smiled and waved us on our way). It was low tide and there was limited visibility, so it was a good thing we didn’t plan to venture too far from shore. Because of the particles in the water, the dive wasn’t particularly fruitful photographically. We saw several morays, pipefish, lionfish, and the usual cleaner shrimp and anemone crabs. But here is my favorite shot of the day

Here’s the proof – 30 feet (10 metres) for 180 minutes

So, if you love long slow dives with lots of interesting critters, be sure to check out Mucky Pirates Bay with the Pirates of Sea Rovers. Maybe you too can log your longest dive ever and beat my record.

The starry moray is one of my favorite eels because of the bright yellow eyes

While shooting the shrimp, the moray suddenly stuck out his head

One of several lionfish under the pier

One of many pipefish we saw

Look for these in anemones if the clownfish will let you get close enough

Huutan & Samy getting presented with there SSI Deep Diver Specialty badge by Wayan. Not only is this there first time deep diving but it is also Wayan’s first time teaching SSI Deep Diving Specialty to students.

Lonely Mangrove stands vigil at the entrance to Pemuteran Bay

But now it doesn’t need to be so lonely, a mangrove can have friends visit and at the same time enjoy one of the newly installed ‘Selfie Swings’ of Pemuteran. Because, why not?

Easy to find at the entrance to Pemuteran Bay, just by Pura Dalam and the Glass Houses. Its also a great location to romantically swing and watch the sunset. Course there are only two so you might have to wait your turn.

The second swing is further down the coast above, and on land, next to the ‘Underwater Temple Garden’ a leisurely stroll along the beach to the small hills West of the Bay. You’ll find it at the point of the peninsula.

So lets see those twitter/instagram/facebook/G+ posts #selfieswingpemuteran

Some pictures of Romain and Rachael (the latter originally from America) who came all the way from Paris to finish the second half of their SSI Open Water Diver course with the infamous Captain Paul. Having completed their SSI Open Water Referral training with Plongequilibre in Paris. The intrepid explorers and newly initiated Pirate Brethren, took sail to Bali for a taste of undersea adventures with the Pirates who Dive.

Which is a good option for some, as it allows you to not only complete the online theory and final exam in your own language. But also to to do all the confined water training/skills prior to your trip. Which then leaves you free of any classroom or pool sessions during your holidays. All you need to do is the remaining 4 dives with, shall we say US? Yes, lets say us 😉 And you’re done, SSI Open Water Diver is complete.

So a shout out to their previous instructors Erwan Rowarch and Luc Galtier at Plongequilibre in Paris (https://www.plongequilibre.com). Who did a good job teaching Romain and Rachael their in water skill. Don’t worry they didn’t embarrass you guys 😉

One of the fears of every good instructor is that your student will leave with your name on their badge….. Me I have no fear, I’m a Pirate and both Romain and Rachael did a good job on demonstrating the skills they had previously learned, and buoyancy was also good. Just don’t stop, keep diving, practice in a pool if you don’t get a chance to dive for a while.